On Saturday, hundreds of Special Olympic athletes from across Long Island gathered to compete in the annual spring games. John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, and his fellow Sock Wrangler, Andrew Oh, competed in the track and field events while the John’s Crazy Socks Team staffed a booth at the Olympic Village where visitors could compete in games and win prizes.
“We had a great day,” said John Cronin. “We trained hard for the Spring Games and had so much fun.”
Training and Competition
The Special Olympics are built on training and competition. John and Andrew train with the Commack Sharks and on Saturday, competed in multiple track and field events. John threw the Turbo Javelin and brought home a bronze medal. On the track, Andrew won a Silver Medal in the 200-meter dash. Both John and Andrew ran the 100-meter dash. Andrew earned a gold medal and John brought home a hard-earned bronze medal.
Andrew said, “I ran as fast as I could.”
Both athletes competed in the final event of the day, the 4 X 100-meter relay, though on separate teams. John’s team won the bronze medal and Andrew’s team brought home the silver medal.
John’s Crazy Socks Brings the Fun to the Spring Games
The spring games, like any athletic competition, fills a full day. The Opening Ceremonies kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with the athletes marching into the track stadium at Farmingdale Middle School to the cheers of the large crowd. The final events of the day – the relay races – started at 3 p.m. To keep the athletes and supporters entertained during the day, the Special Olympics set up an Olympic Village full of entertainment and games provided by local organizations.
John’s Crazy Socks set up a booth with a wheel of socks and Plinko games. All day long, athletes, their fans and volunteers stopped by to say hello and win prizes that included socks, stickers, magnets and lollipops. Between events, John helped out at the tent and many people took their photographs with him.
The Spring Games were a great success thanks to the hard work of the Special Olympics staff and the host Farmingdale School District.
John’s Crazy Socks and the Special Olympics
From the day they opened John’s Crazy Socks, John and his co-founder and father, Mark X. Cronin, have made giving back to the Special Olympics an important part of the John’s Crazy Socks experience. Our customers know that when they buy from us, they support the Special Olympics.
At John’s Crazy Socks, we have a mission to spread happiness. John says the keys to happiness are gratitude and doing for others. Thus, our Giving Back Program is an essential part of our mission. Supporting the Special Olympics is especially important to us. In fact, John’s Crazy Socks has donated over $130,000 to Special Olympics New York.
We start by donating 5 percent of our earnings to the Special Olympics. John’s Crazy Socks donates 5 percent from the sale of our Sock of the Month Club to the Special Olympics. And we donate 10 percent from the sale of our Polar Plunge Socks and Shark Socks to the Special Olympics. John designed Shark Socks in honor of his basketball and track team, the Commack Sharks.
John’s Crazy Socks is a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. Started by John Cronin and his father, Mark X. Cronin, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. Every day, they show what people with differing abilities can accomplish.
About Special Olympics New York
Special Olympics New York is the largest state chapter in the country, serving more than 51,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with about 250 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families, or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $600,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
